Preamble

osc2laser (OSC to laser) is a completely free, open source, solution to create stunning lasershows - live or pre-programmed by timeline.

It enables you to simply control your showlasers via any OSC-compatible software.

2D laser preview of animated timeline using Ableton Live

Features

• Easy laser output preview (2D)
• Multiple static and animated laser objects
• Change parameters of laser objects
• Many effects for laser objects available

System requirements

• Python 3 runtime
• Any supported Laser DAC:
  • Helios Laser DAC
• Any software for sending OSC commands like:
  • open-stage-control (free)
  • Ableton Live
  • Vezér
  • TouchOSC
  • Chataigne (free)
  • OSSIA score (free)
  • TWO (free)
  • OSC See
  • Millumin
  • QLab
  • ...

For Max for Live developers:

• Max for Live

Components

• osc-receiver: The server component which receives OSC commands and translates them to a laser DAC. Also provides 2D preview window.
• osc-senders/open-stagecontrol: Template for open-stage-control GUI (OSC client with desktop and web UI)
• osc-senders/max-for-live-device/osc2laser.amxd: Max for Live instrument

Quick Start

OSC receiver

macOS

• Install .pkg file
• Review config
  • Browse to /Applications
  • Right click -> Show package content
  • Browse to Contents -> MacOS
  • Edit and save config_laser1.txt
• Launch application (via /Applications -> right click on osc2laser -> Open)

Any OS (run Python code manually)

• Python 3:
  1. Install the Python 3 runtime which matches your operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux,...).
  2. Install virtual environment: python -m venv venv
  3. Change to venv: source venv/bin/activate
  4. Change to osc-receiver directory: cd osc-receiver
  5. Install requirements: python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
• Laser DAC driver:
  1. Get the right osc-receiver/libHeliosDacAPI.so from here to match your OS (driver for x86_64 macOS already included)
• Configuration:
  1. Edit and save config_laser1.txt
• Run:
  1. Start OSC receiver: python main.py

This starts an OSC server on localhost at UDP port 2345. See config_laser1.txt for more optional settings.

OSC sender

open-stage-control

1. Download and install software.
2. Run and open profile osc-senders/open-stage-control/osc2laser-client.config.
3. Click play icon.
4. Open session osc-senders/open-stage-control/osc2laser-template.config.

Max for Live device

Setup of the Max for Live device in Ableton Live

1. Start Ableton Live
2. Create a new project
3. Switch to session view (tab key)
4. Drag osc-senders/max-for-live-device/osc2laser.amxd into the session window to create a new track.
5. Right click the UI elements (laser object, X position, Y position,...) to show its automation track in a new lane
6. Add key frames to the automation lanes and watch the output in the laser preview window.

OSC messages

Globals

• /globals/scan_rate
  • 100 to 40000: scan rate (points per second)

Laser objects

• /laserobject
  • 0 = blank
  • 1 = green horizontal line
  • 2 = red vertical line
  • 3 = blue static wave
  • 4 = blue animated wave
  • 5 = green static circle
  • 6 = green static point
  • 7 = white static stars

Parameters

• /parameters/wave_amplitude
  • 0-5000: Wave amplitude
• /parameters/wave_length
  • 5000-15000: Wave length
• /parameters/wave_speed
  • 0-75: Wave speed

Effects

• /effect/x_pos and /effect/y_pos
  • -4095 to 4095: move X or Y position of laserobject
• /effect/xy_pos
  • (-4095 to 4095, -4095 to 4095): move X and Y position of laserobject at once
• /effect/rgb_intensity
  • 0 to 255: brightness of the RGB colors
• /effect/scale_factor
  • -10 to 10: scaling factor of shape (1 = no scale)
• /effect/rotation_degrees
  • 0 to 360: degrees of static rotation (0 = no static rotation)
• /effect/rotation_speed
  • 0 to 1024: speed of continuous rotation (0 = no continuous rotation)
• /effect/color_change/[r, g, b]
  • 0 to 255: color intensity of red, green and blue

Create installer

For Mac

• Increase version number in make_installer_mac.sh
• Run: make_installer_mac.sh
• Find Mac package in dist/osc2laser.pkg

Support & Community

Here you can discuss your ideas and issues.

Contribute as a developer

Feel free to work on any issue by forking and creating a pull request.

Sponsors

• goodtimes | Interactive showlaser technology: lasershows, laser art, laser games, laser control software
• sync.blue® | Technology partner